The Effects of Oral Curcumin and Bioperine Supplementation on C - reactive protein In CrossFit Athletes

PURPOSE. C-reactive protein (CRP) is an acute-phase inflammatory marker which circulates in blood plasma and rises in the presence of systemic inflammation. Strenuous exercise, such as that performed by CrossFit athletes, has been found to acutely raise CRP levels. Curcumin has demonstrated the ability to reduce CRP levels by blunting the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines secondary to the suppression of the NF- κB pathway. Concomitant graduate research administration of bioperine with curcumin improves bioavailability by 2,000%. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of oral curcumin and bioperine supplementation on CRP levels in CrossFit athletes. METHODS. Sixteen CrossFit athletes (Male 56.3%, Female 43.8%) provided pre-intervention CRP samples through a finger stick blood draw. Participants were given a combined curcumin (2g) and bioperine (20μg) supplement to be administered with their first meal of the day following 28 days after initial CRP testing. Participants were instructed to continue their usual exercise, dietary, and lifestyle practices over the duration of the study. On the 28th day of supplementation, participants provided a final CRP blood sample. Pre- and post-intervention CRP samples were evaluated using a paired t-test. RESULTS. Curcumin and bioperine supplementation resulted in a mean decrease in CRP levels of 0.26 ± 2.27 mg/L; however, this reduction failed to reach statistical significance (p = .65). Overall, five participants (31.3%) showed an increase in CRP at follow-up, five participants (31.3%) showed a decrease in CRP, and six participants (37.5%) showed no observable changes in CRP at follow-up, likely due to CRP levels below the testing sensitivity threshold. CONCLUSION. The majority of CrossFit athletes evaluated in this study had clinically low or below sensitivity threshold levels of CRP. A lack of measurable data from six participants with CRP levels below testing sensitivity threshold reduced the statistical power of our study. CRP levels in CrossFit athletes should be studied further using larger sample sizes and more sensitive testing devices given the apparent low CRP levels in this population

Risk and Protective Factors for Well-Being in Latinx Immigrants in Removal Proceedings

Recent figures estimate roughly 12 million undocumented immigrants live in the U.S. (Baker, 2018; Capps, Fix, & Zong, 2016), 1,101,061 of which have pending immigration court cases, and over 80% of which are Latinx (TRAC, 2020a). Despite legal protections in other areas of the U.S. justice system, there is little opportunity for relief for adults going through deportation proceedings (Koh, 2017a) and no right to government-funded representation (Hausman & Srikantiah, 2016). There is little research on the effect of immigration court on the well-being of immigrants, and no empirical data on risk and protective factors in the court context. Against this background, this study aimed to examine how hopelessness and helplessness (i.e., risk factors) and social, religious, and legal support (i.e., protective factors) relate to the emotional and physical well-being of Latinx individuals facing removal proceedings. All participants (n = 157; 31.2% male) were adult (18 to 69 years old) respondents with an active immigration court case. Overall, results indicated higher levels of hopelessness and helplessness (individually and cumulatively) were associated with poorer outcomes, while social and religious aggregate support did not serve as a protective factor attenuating the relation between risk and outcome variables. Finally, contrary to hypotheses, legal support served as a risk factor for individuals high on helplessness, such that more legal support was associated with worse outcomes. Several explanations for results are offered. While findings inform immigration-related policy, results also have implications for our nation’s economy, healthcare system, and citizens

Key Instructional Strategies and Behaviors to Support Student Motivation and Learning in the High School STAAR English Remedial Classroom

The purpose of this study was to identify key instructional strategies and behaviors that support student motivation and learning in a high school STAAR English remedial program. Research was conducted within one summer school semester during 10-days of instruction and focused on high school students who Did Not Meet Grade Level through the STAAR End-of-Course English exam. This study utilized a qualitative methods approach. Teacher interviews, student surveys, and classroom observations were used to gather insight of how motivation was defined, characterized, supported, and not supported in the high school STAAR English remedial class. Data collection focused on identifying instructional strategies and behaviors used in the learning process to support student motivation. Data was analyzed after summer school concluded. Analysis of the data from the study showed that the teacher, as someone, and the classroom climate, as something that, played a key role to support students’ motivation. Specific behaviors regarding the teachers’ attitude, instruction, and classroom management were noted by students as something that supports motivation and learning, all which establish the classroom climate that a teacher creates. Ultimately, teachers implemented instructional strategies and behaviors that supported student learning and also created a classroom environment that developed student self-efficacy and motivation

Induction of humoral immune response to multiple recombinant Rhipicephalus appendiculatus antigens and their effect on tick feeding success and pathogen transmission

BACKGROUND: Rhipicephalus appendiculatus is the primary vector of Theileria parva, the etiological agent of East Coast fever (ECF), a devastating disease of cattle in sub-Saharan Africa. We hypothesized that a vaccine targeting tick proteins that are involved in attachment and feeding might affect feeding success and possibly reduce tick-borne transmission of T. parva. Here we report the evaluation of a multivalent vaccine cocktail of tick antigens for their ability to reduce R. appendiculatus feeding success and possibly reduce tick-transmission of T. parva in a natural host-tick-parasite challenge model. METHODS: Cattle were inoculated with a multivalent antigen cocktail containing recombinant tick protective antigen subolesin as well as two additional R. appendiculatus saliva antigens: the cement protein TRP64, and three different histamine binding proteins. The cocktail also contained the T. parva sporozoite antigen p67C. The effect of vaccination on the feeding success of nymphal and adult R. appendiculatus ticks was evaluated together with the effect on transmission of T. parva using a tick challenge model. RESULTS: To our knowledge, this is the first evaluation of the anti-tick effects of these antigens in the natural host-tick-parasite combination. In spite of evidence of strong immune responses to all of the antigens in the cocktail, vaccination with this combination of tick and parasite antigens did not appear to effect tick feeding success or reduce transmission of T. parva. CONCLUSION: The results of this study highlight the importance of early evaluation of anti-tick vaccine candidates in biologically relevant challenge systems using the natural tick-host-parasite combination

Heirs’ Property: Where, How Much, and Why Does It Matter?

Heirs’ property comes into being when the owner of real property (usually a house and/or land) dies without a will. All heirs (e.g., spouse and children) become owners of an undivided interest in the property, with the division determined by state law. Heirs’ property is significant as a social and historical phenomenon because property has been passed down without wills across multiple generations of Blacks in the South and whites in Appalachia because limited educational opportunities and patterns of exploitation led them to distrust the legal system. Heirs can number in the hundreds, presenting obstacles and vulnerabilities and limiting property ownership as a means of building intergenerational wealth. Quantifying the extent and value of heirs’ property is necessary to inform legislation and policy, and to guide future research. We summarize the findings of two peer-reviewed studies designed to meet these needs

Chemical Power for Microscopic Robots in Capillaries

The power available to microscopic robots (nanorobots) that oxidize bloodstream glucose while aggregated in circumferential rings on capillary walls is evaluated with a numerical model using axial symmetry and time-averaged release of oxygen from passing red blood cells. Robots about one micron in size can produce up to several tens of picowatts, in steady-state, if they fully use oxygen reaching their surface from the blood plasma. Robots with pumps and tanks for onboard oxygen storage could collect oxygen to support burst power demands two to three orders of magnitude larger. We evaluate effects of oxygen depletion and local heating on surrounding tissue. These results give the power constraints when robots rely entirely on ambient available oxygen and identify aspects of the robot design significantly affecting available power. More generally, our numerical model provides an approach to evaluating robot design choices for nanomedicine treatments in and near capillaries.Comment: 28 pages, 7 figure

Visitor Behavior in the Living Treehouse at Zoo Atlanta

The aim of this project was to determine whether visitors utilize conservation and education displays in the Living Treehouse at Zoo Atlanta. Approximately 34% of visitors read displays and watched animals on exhibit. This subset of visitors spent significantly more time watching animals than reading displays [F(1, 44) = 15.62, p \u3c 0.001, ƞ2 = 0.26]. Limited interaction with relatively static displays may not lead to the intended change in knowledge and conservation attitudes among zoo visitors. Interactive displays (instead of static signage) separated from animal exhibits may be more effective in attracting and holding attention and delivering conservation and educational messages to a wide audience

Shortening the Postoperative Length of Stay following Total Knee Arthroplasty does not Negatively Impact Short-term Patient Outcomes; a Retrospective Review of the Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic

Safely Decreasing Postoperative Length of Stay for Total Knee Arthroplasty (TKA) Patients Following the COVID-19 Pandemichttps://knowledgeconnection.mainehealth.org/lambrew-retreat-2023/1024/thumbnail.jp

Reverse-Coded Items Do Not Work in Spanish: Data From Four Samples Using Established Measures

The potential for suboptimal psychometric performance of reverse-coded items may be particularly pronounced when scales are translated and administered in Spanish with these problems exacerbated in youth respondents. This is a significant concern, given the rapid rise in Hispanic-American and Spanish-speaking individuals in the US and their rightful, growing representation in psychological research and clinical care. The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric performance of reverse-coded items across four Spanish-speaking samples spanning developmental stages including youth, college students, and parents (N = 1,084; Adolescents n = 107; M = 19.79; SD = 2.09; 41.1% female; Caregivers n = 58; M = 40.79; SD = 7.94; 60.3% female; Spanish-speaking adults in the US n = 157; M = 33.4; SD = 9.5; 68.8% female; and College students living in Latin America n = 783; M = 21.04; SD = 3.13; 69.2% female) and four scales (Big Five Inventory; Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire; Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale; Beck Hopelessness Scale); we expected reverse-coded items would demonstrate inadequate item–total correlations and their inclusion would compromise scale internal consistency. Hypotheses were supported with evidence of poor psychometric performance for at least two reverse-coded items on each instrument, such that un-reversing the items improved their item–total correlations. Across every instrument, alpha was either improved by excluding reverse-coded items or by including them in an un-reversed fashion and, overall, there was a moderate, negative effect of reverse-coded items on scale alphas. In growing consensus with previous authors, we recommend that reverse-coded items not be included in Spanish scales